Hello all

Much as I admire their amazing organizational talents,
ants are becoming more than serious competitors to us humans
- at least they are in our greenhouse and fruit garden.
Is the planet perhaps one huge ant-nest ?

In the greenhouse they farm those little scabby things
on an indoor grapevine (had to rub them off between thumb and finger)
and greenfly on my (now crippled) tomato seedlings.
I`ve watched them doing it.
On apple trees I've watched the little perishers
collecting aphids on the outermost tips of the branches.

Is there anything I can do (apart from the boiling oil) ?
Is there some odour they can't stand ?
Do they have no natural enemies - apart from me - and ant-eaters
which are a bit rare round here ?

Thanks for any non-toxic suggestions.
from Ray